


The Angel Grove Youth Center and Juice Bar

by gingayellow



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 09:57:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13028622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: Trini gets a new job at the Juice Bar. Kim tries (and fails) to play it cool. (Kim/Trini, fluff, post-film, spoilers apply)





	The Angel Grove Youth Center and Juice Bar

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jaegermighty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaegermighty/gifts).



Title: The Angel Grove Youth Center and Juice Bar  
Fandom: Power Rangers (2017)  
Characters/Pairing: Kim/Trini  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: None, but it does reference Zack’s Mom’s illness.  
Notes: Post-film, spoilers apply. This was written for jaegermighty, and I hope you like it! (There are a few references to the 90s MMPR series, including the title, but you do not have to be familiar with the old series to read this, promise.)

\--

“Are you absolutely sure that you want to work at a place called…” Kimberly glanced at the information packet again. “Ernie’s Juice Bar?”

“Of course I don’t; it sounds like some fever dream locale from the nineties,” Trini replied as she tugged on her work shirt—a painful mix of neon pink and safety cone orange. Nineties fever dream indeed. “But my mom nearly had a heart attack when I mentioned working for that moving company.”

Kim laughed at that. “I don’t what you were thinking. We’re not supposed to show off that we’re any different than anyone else. And then you tried to convince your mom you could handle the heavy lifting by hoisting your family’s safe over your head.”

“It was a calculated risk that didn’t work out in my favor.” Trini ran a hand through her hair, and then stuck her tongue in the mirror. “Anyways, this has been fun, but I gotta go and learn how a banana smoothie and banana shake are two completely different things.”

Kim didn’t want to make Trini feel guilty, but she looked so miserable in that shirt, she decided to bring it up. “You know, if you need money, I could always—”

Trini said _NO_ so quickly, so forcefully that it echoed in the room.

“I mean. Sometimes a girl has to do stuff for herself, that’s all.”

“No. No, it’s fine.” Kim managed a smile. “I was just trying to solve everything again, that’s all. I just—”

“Cool, no prob. See ya!”

“I just was hoping to make you happy,” Kim said to herself.

\--

While Kim had no plans to interact with the AGHS cheerleading squad again, ever, she had learned some things from her earlier years, when cheers had just been fun and exercise. One of those things had been to stay positive. If things are bad, stay upbeat and find a way to make them better. So, with that in mind, Kim decided to visit Ernie’s Juice Bar after school. If this job was eating up so much of Trini’s time, then fine. Kim could at least look at her girlfriend here.

And Kim did, for the two seconds Trini was there to deliver a couple their drinks, and then dashed off to the kitchen again. 

Kim huffed, leaning back in her chair. She was fine with Trini working. She was fine with Trini having a life outside of her. It was the realization that Trini didn’t necessarily need her this time.

Not that Trini really needed anyone. Maybe she was taking this whole thing more seriously than she should be, maybe—

… No, if Trini wanted something (or someone) else, she would have said so a long time ago. Trini’s brutal honesty tended to confuse/upset people at first, but it grew on you. It grew on Kim, at least. 

Kim decided to take in her surroundings. Despite the juice bar’s dated aesthetic, it was packed with young people, either eating or working out (apparently the owner was a former football star that believed in making sure teens led healthy lifestyles, and thus had a decent collection of gym equipment). She’d be lying if she said the balance beam didn’t call out to her younger years and flirtation with gymnastics.

But Kim wasn’t a kid anymore, and she had moved on to flirting with Trini, except she wasn’t too good at that these days, either.

“Hm. The spinach juice ain’t too bad.”

“Zack?” This was a surprise. “I though you—”

“Mom kicked me out for the afternoon,” Zack said with a sad smile. “Now that she knows I have friends, she wants me to spend time with them or whatever.” He took a long sip of his drink. “In a shocking turn of events, Trini gave me a juice on the house.”

“She’s kinder than she’d have you believe.”

Zack nodded. “Yep, especially when you think about… and judging by your face, Trini didn’t tell you, so I’m shutting up.”

Wait. Hold on. “Zack, what is it that Trini told you that she couldn’t tell me?” Kim refused to say ‘wouldn’t,’ even if it was true.

Zack was suddenly engrossed in his spinach juice. “C’mon, you know I’m a lovable rascal. I… I probably lied?”

“Zack,” Kim said in her peacemaker voice. The one she used back when her fellow cheerleaders got into fights, or her parents argued. “If you don’t tell me what my girlfriend is struggling with, I will kill you.”

Zack. “Yeah, funny thing. So would Trini if I did tell, but she would enjoy it.” He finished his juice. “Look, Kim. I know it’s not fun when someone you care for decides things for you, but if you ask Trini directly, I’m sure she’d tell you.”

Kim frowned. “What makes you say that?”

“Because of your doe eyes that no decent being resist.”

“You did.”

“That’s because I’m evil,” Zack said sagely as he rummaged through his pockets for a tip. He smiled in relief as Kim offered to cover it. 

It was the least she could do, after what Zack had done for her.

\--

“Hey, stranger. Need a ride home?”

“Always,” Trini said with a grin, easing into the passenger seat. “How’d you convince your dad to let you have the car, anyways?”

Kim smiled. “I think he’s just glad that I’m doing better in school and in general.” So many of their fights had been him worried about his daughter and the ‘friends’ he didn’t trust. Oddly enough, it took nearly getting killed for Kim to find real friends—and talking to her father again, and doing better at school. “So, how’s work?” Kim listened to Trini complain about teenagers and their surprisingly comprehensive knowledge concerning healthy foods for ten minutes before she decided to make her move.

“Sounds frustrating,” Kim said as she signaled for a right turn. “You must be saving up for something big.”

Trini looked away. “Yeah. I am.”

“Do you, um, want to share?”

Trini still wasn’t looking at her.

Oh. Oh, this had been a bad idea. “I’m sorry,” Kim said, doing her best to focus on the road. “I shouldn’t pry, but you’ve been at work pretty much whenever you’re not at school, and I’m getting—getting worried that maybe that’s because you’re tired of me, and okay, objectively that makes no sense since you literally hopped into a care with me minutes ago, but—”

“Kim. Relax.” Trini placed a hand on Kim’s shoulder. “I’ll tell you. I,” and Trini was blushing, of all things. “I was saving up so we could do a road trip to the beach for spring break.”

The weight that had been on Kim’s chest for the past few days was gone, just like that. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” Trini huffed. “It was supposed to be this big romantic surprise, but if it’s making you this upset, there’s no point in keeping it secret.”

“Thank you,” Kim whispered at they pulled up to a stoplight. “But, Trini, I could have paid for a trip, or pitched in—”

“But I wanted it to be for you,” Trini said matter-of-factly. 

Kim gave that some thought. “Well, tell you what. You pay for the beach and food and tacky souvenirs, and I’ll pay for gas?”

“Yes, please,” Trini breathed. “Then I could quit early.”

Kim smirked. “What me to turn around so you can give Ernie your two weeks’ notice?”

“Nah.” Trini kissed Kim on the cheek. “Nah. I wanna spend some time with my girlfriend first.”


End file.
